8. LET'S PLAY BATHI

8 Let’s play Bhathi

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Chinedu was visiting his auntie in Soweto for Christmas.
Bulelwa was visiting her gogo. Xihlala was visiting his
cousins. The three of them had quickly become friends.
‘I’m bored,’ Bulelwa said, ‘let’s play Toti.’
‘I don’t know that game,’ Chinedu said, ‘let’s play
Bhathi instead.’
‘How about Chicago? That’s the most fun game!’
Xihlala said.
‘Chicago? That sounds like a city – not a game!’
Bulelwa rolled her eyes.
They sat and argued about which game they should
play. Back and forth, back and forth they went about
which game was best.

READ 1 READ 2
I wonder which game they will agree to I remember that all the characters in
play? this story have different names for the
90 same game! All the characters come from
different places. I can infer that in different
places, the game has different names.

‘Fine!’ Bulelwa finally backed down, ‘I guess we can play
Bhathi if it is so great. How do we play?’
Chinedu stood up. ‘Okay, if we are going to play
Bhathi, we need tins and a ball.’
‘That sounds just like Chicago!’ Xihlala said.
‘You need tins and a ball to play Toti, too,’ Bulelwa said.

READ 1
I can infer that all three games (Bhathi, Chicago, and Toti) all need tins and a ball.

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‘First we need to make two teams. One team is on, and
the other team is the fielding team. The team that
is on must run and try to stack their tins into a tall
tower,’ Chinedu continued. ‘Then, they must run to the
home-zone!’
‘That sounds just like Toti!’ Bulelwa repeated.
‘There is the same rule in Chicago too,’ Xihlala
repeated.
‘Really?’ Chinedu asked, ‘That’s strange!’

READ 1 READ 2
There seem to be a lot of the same rules I can infer that Chinedu is confused
in all three games. I wonder how the because he says, ‘That’s strange!’
games are different?
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Chinedu went on. ‘The fielding team’s job is to hit the
other team members with the ball. The other team
members must try to duck and try not to get hit! If
they get hit, they have to sit down.’
‘That sounds just like Toti!’ Bulelwa said, looking
confused.
‘There is the same rule in Chicago too,’ Xihlala said.
‘Really?’ Chinedu asked, ‘That’s funny!’

READ 1 READ 2
The more they talk about the rules, the I can infer that Chinedu is confused
more they can see that the games are because he says, ‘That’s funny!’ I infer
similar. I infer that they are all feeling that he hasn’t realized they are all talking
confused! about the same game yet!

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‘Okay so then, the fielding team must give the ball to
the team in the home zone. Each member of the team
has three chances to throw the ball and try to topple
the stack of tins.’ Chinedu explained.
‘That sounds just like Toti,’ Bulelwa said. ‘If the team
topples the stack, do they get a point, and another
chance to play?’
‘Yes!’ Chinedu said, looking confused. ‘How do you
know?’
‘This game is just like Toti! It must be the same game!’
Bulelwa laughed.
‘It is just like Chicago, too!’ Xihlala said. ‘Is it the same
that if none of the team members can topple the tins,
then the fielding team gets a chance to play?’
‘Yes!’ Chinedu said. ‘That is just like Bhathi!’

READ 1 READ 2
I can infer that they all love the same Chinedu thinks he is describing a new,
game – but the game has different names different game, but his friends seem to
in different places! This must have been know all the rules! I infer that this is very
very confusing for them! confusing for him!
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‘Okay, let’s go collect tins!’ Bulelwa said. They went
from house to house, asking their neighbours for tins.

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When they reached the last house on the street,
Chinedu asked, ‘Can we please have some tins for
Bhathi?’
The woman told them to wait. She came back with a
whole bag of tins.
‘Did you know that some people call that game
Chicago?’ she laughed, ‘and other people call it Toti!
Imagine!’

READ 1 READ 2
The woman knows that the game has I infer that it is funny when they hear the
different names! But I can infer that the woman say this, because it took them so
children in the story have just learnt this long to figure out that the game has so
fact! many different names!
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They finally had enough tins. Chinedu, Bulelwa, and
Xihlala looked at each other and smiled, ‘Let’s play
Bhathi-Chicago-Toti,’ Xihlala said, laughing.

READ 1 READ 2
They spent so long feeling confused! I I infer that it is funny, because it took
infer that they have changed the name, them such a long time to realise they
so that other people will know the game were all talking about the same game!
has lots of different names! They spent so long feeling confused!

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READ 1 READ 2
What is the setting of this story? How can we infer that the characters all
It is set in Soweto, during the Christmas come from different places?
holidays. • Because they are all visiting family in
What are the three different names for
the game? Soweto.
Bhathi, Toti, Chicago • Because they have just become
Why were the characters in the story
confused? friends.
• Because they thought they were • Because they all have a different name

talking about different games, but they for the same game.
were really talking about the same What do the children need to collect
game! before they can play?
• Because they thought they were They need to collect tins.
talking about different games, but Why did the characters laugh at the end
then all the rules of the game were the of the story?
same! • Because it took them so long to realise
• Because they didn’t know their
favourite game could have different that they were all talking about the
names. same game.
• Because they had spent so long being
98 confused.
• Because Bhathi-Chicago-Toti is a long
and funny name for the game.